The Big Game Is Coming: Best Smart TV for 2021 Football

The big game is coming soon! The Chiefs will face the Buccaneers on February 7 at 6:30pm ET. We know it will be an electric, intense game

Of course, there is no better way to watch a high stakes game of football than on a massive new smart TV. But which TV should you choose, and what features should you prioritize if watching football is your goal?

Upsie Is here to help with your guide to the best smart TV for 2021 football.

You’ll find some recommendations on specific models below, but before that, it’s important to understand what features to look for in a TV if sports is your main thing. Whichever model you choose, make sure it has the following functionality and features.

Modern smart TVs come in a variety of refresh rates. 60 Hertz is kind of the standard or default refresh rate, and it’s fine for most things. The number of Hertz is equal to the number of refreshes per second. So a 60 Hertz refresh rate means the TV can process 60 frames per second.

If you’re planning to consume a lot of content full of quick motion (sports and video games are two great examples), you want a high refresh rate. Look for smart TVs with 120 Hz or even 240 Hz. (At the same time, be aware that TV manufacturers play pretty fast and loose with these numbers. CNet has a really helpful explainer on this concept.)

Now, will your sports look terrible on a 60fps smart TV? No. Your typical movie is filmed at 24 frames per second, and that’s what conventional cinema projectors reproduce. You might remember watching a movie where the camera panned from side to side and it seemed a little jumpy. That’s why. Most TV is filmed in either 30 or 60 frames per second anyway, but sports are often filmed at a higher frame rate.

On a 60Hz set, sports will look a little more blurred, or squishy, if you will. For the ultimate crispness, go for a higher refresh rate.

Cheap smart TVs are pretty impressive for what they are, but they rarely impress in terms of color and brightness. If you’re looking for the best option for the big game, go for a model with strong color saturation and brightness. Images from the stadium will pop almost like you’re there in person.

Choose the largest, highest resolution smart TV your room and budget can accommodate. Go for 4K or even 8K resolution and don’t skimp on size. Obviously, the bigger, the better. The resolution matters, too, because it directly affects how clear of an image you get.

Make sure you know what kind of signal you’re getting, as well. Obviously a 4K signal is going to look better than a 1080p signal. That said, all 4K TVs upscale lower-resolution signals, meaning that a mere HD signal will look better on a 4K set than it would on a regular HD set.

Most “normal” TV consumption involves just a few people at most, generally centered on the TV set. Not so for the big game. You could have a dozen people over (COVID notwithstanding). For these scenarios, you want a TV with a wide viewing angle. These TVs look good from just about anywhere in the room, not just directly in front.

Below are a few of the top models for 2021 in terms of watching sports. Any of these will perform wonderfully for the upcoming big game.

This gorgeous 4K OLED TV comes in sizes as big as 77 inches. The high refresh rate means no motion blur, and it’s got those coveted wide viewing angles. There are brighter sets on the market, so it’s not the best choice for exceedingly bright rooms. The included WebOS is a strong smart platform, allowing you to install all your favorite sports streaming apps.

This QLED set also features 4K resolution at sizes up to 85 inches. It’s so bright, some reviewers recommend it for covered outdoor use, like on your patio. Samsung uses some tricks to achieve a higher frame rate, so you might want to check this one out in person before buying, but most will be quite satisfied.

The Hisense H8G isn’t quite as impressive as the other two, but it’s a lot cheaper. If you’re looking for a sports TV on a budget, this is it. Seventy-five inches, 4K, and an “enhanced” 60Hz refresh rate make this a competitive option.

Whichever model you choose, protect your investment with one of the best extended warranties available today. Upsie gives you 2 or more years of coverage against all kinds of defects and failures, including dead pixels and screen burn-in. Repairs are quick, as well, so you will never have to go without watching your favorite sports games for long.